which has greatly consoled me as I see you are all in good health,
particularly you and Lorenzo, I pray God to keep you so for many
years. I have not written before as I feared to importune you and also
because I have sent often to your house to Marco for malvasy and for
the book of St. Margaret, all of which I have received; and from him I
heard news of you. I should have sent to you [at Careggi] but thought
that on account of the plague you would keep close guard. We have had
it near here, but by the grace of God it is now finished. So I did
not send as I ought to have done. As I told you in Florence I mean
to lie in here for I know you have enough on your hands, and I want
for nothing. If I am worse than usual which I do not expect as by the
grace of God I am very well, I am in the ninth month now and as I said
well, should anything unforeseen happen there is Maestro Giorgio close
by who fled here from the plague. So be in no anxiety about me for I
feel sure God will assist me as ever, if it so pleases Him. Of the
family in the Mugello I hear good news, which rejoices me, and also
of Nannina,[262] who they tell me passed along the road going to the
Casentino. I am so glad you are all of you well, which is not little
to say in such times as these, for I was and I am anxious about you as
you said you had to see so many people. I wonder you were not somewhat
afraid, but our Lord God will not abandon us entirely. Do persuade
Lorenzo to take more care, for I hear he has no fear at all[263] ...
on all sides, and also to beware of his enemies. Until this sickness
is past he ought to put his pleasures on one side; if he lives he will
have more than now, for I trust God will recompense him for the ill
he has received. I commend myself to him, as do these children, and
Guglielmo commends himself to you and to Lorenzo. By the grace of God
we are all well.--Alla Torre, July 15, 1479.
Your Bianca.[264]
Agnolo Poliziano _to_ Lucrezia de’ Medici _at Careggi_
Magnificent Madonna mine,--By Tommaso I send back your lauds,
sonnets, and poems in terza rima, which you lent me when I was with
you the other day. All these women were delighted with them and
Madonna Lucrezia, or rather Lucrezia, has learnt all the lauds and
many sonnets of _the_ Lucrezia by heart.[265] There is also a little
white book in manuscript which I beg you to give to your and my good
Giovanni Tornabuoni, it contains certain rules his children asked me
to give them. I am also writing to Giovanni, to the children, and to
their master. I pray you to give him the letters and to commend me to
him, for I set great store and count much on the affection he shows
me. I have been to see Lorenzo several times and cannot describe how
well he received me. Do try and discover what are his intentions with
regard to me; it would surprise me if Piero were allowed to lose time,
it would be a great pity. I hear that Messer Bernardo, brother of Ser
Niccolò, is with him, but I do not know how his teaching will combine
with mine.[266] If he is to remain permanently, then of a truth I
can assume that the bubble has burst. But I cannot believe it, and
therefore beg you to find out what are Lorenzo’s intentions, then I
shall know whether I am to arm for a joust only or for war. It will
be easy for you and I shall always be at the beck and call of Lorenzo
as I am sure he knows better than I, and that he will put me in an
honourable position as he always has done and as my fidelity and good
services merit. I am working hard. Till now I have not been able to
send you the promised book as one copy is at Florence and the other
at the binder’s who has kept it a long time. As soon as I have it I
will send it. I commend myself to you and I pray you to commend me to
Lorenzo.--Fiesole, July 18, 1479. Your Magnificence’s servant,
Angelus Polizianus.[267]
The following extracts from Vespucci’s letters to the “Ten” allude
to the one victory gained by the Florentine troops over the Prefect
of Rome, nephew of Pope Sixtus IV., near Lake Trasimene during the
war between Florence and the Pope with his ally the King of Naples,
in 1479. But the fortune of war soon changed. The Florentines were
beaten at Poggibonsi, within sixteen miles of Florence, by the Duke of
Calabria. Fortunately for her, Duke Alfonso stopped to lay siege to the
small walled town of Colle which held out for two months and inflicted
considerable loss on his army. Meanwhile the summer, generally
considered in the fifteenth century to be the only proper time for
fighting, was over; the Duke offered a three months’ truce, withdrew
his troops to winter quarters, and Florence was saved.
Guidantonio Vespucci, _Legatus in Epistolis at Paris, to the_ Ten of
the Balìa _in Florence_
When the King of France heard the news he gave signs of great joy,
kneeling as is his wont three times and kissing the ground, thanking
God. All that day he talked of nought else with his people, saying:
“My friends the Florentines and my cousin Lorenzo de’ Medici will
have their revenge this year....” You heard how the King’s Majesty
had received news of the glorious victory of our troops near Perugia
and how delighted he was, so that according to what I hear from court
he showed extreme pleasure both by actions and in words, to the great
content of the Magnificent Monsignor of Argenton[268] who, as though
he had been a born Florentine, continually _tamquam tuba exprobando_
the acts of the Pontiff and of King Ferrante, goes about Paris
proclaiming our victory; particularly to those ecclesiastics whom I
have met sometimes at supper with his Lordship.
Vespucci adds that Louis XI. refused to receive a certain Raffaello
Ballerini sent by the Pope to explain his actions, and that when
King Ferrante asked that his galleys might use the ports of Nice and
Provence for the purpose of attacking the Florentines, the Duke of
Savoy by command of the King of France refused his consent.--1479.[269]
Lorenzo de’ Medici _to_ Girolamo Morelli, _Florentine Ambassador at
Milan_
Yours of the 8th and 9th tell me that everything goes well there.
It is useless for me to say much as we must wait to see how affairs
shape themselves and try to turn them in our favour. I cannot believe
that the Lord Lodovico being all-powerful and an absolute ruler will
consent to our undoing, because it would be against his interest. He
is by nature kindly and has never received any injury from us either
public or private. It is true that he obtained power by the King’s
favour, but I think he is even more beholden to the help given him
by others and to his own qualities. From the little I know of His
Lordship he seems to me capable of understanding what is right and
willing to execute what he understands. Therefore as soon as you can
it would be well to see His Lordship and demonstrate to him that on
account of ancient friendship we expect nothing but good from him,
there being no reason for antagonism, and according to my view it
will be his interest. Impress upon him that this city desires to go
hand in hand with the State of Milan, that is with His Lordship, and
for this reason beg and encourage him to inform you in some measure
of his intentions so that we may act in conformity with his wishes.
Explain our difficulties to him, and how they react upon that State,
and the remedy which is in his own hands. This is what I have to say
at present. As soon as I received your first intimation I despatched
Niccolò d’Antonio Martelli, who is very intimate with His Lordship,
it was through him that formerly I transacted all important affairs
with His Lordship. I send him to you to whom he will show all his
despatches. He will soon be with you, as to-day he must be at Bologna.
It appears to me that we must now throw ourselves entirely into the
arms of His Lordship and discover as soon as possible what are his
ideas and his intentions towards us, and this quickly, for I have
had no letter from him. I have thought it better to write to him and
enclose the letter, but I rely more on your interview with him, when
you can tell him as much as you think fit of what I have written. I
commend myself to you.--Florence, September 11, 1479.
I must remind you of what I wrote yesterday about the Marquis of
Mantua. If he is deposed that country will immediately be included
among our enemies, it would be our ruin.
Laurentius de Medicis.[270]
In November Niccolò Martelli, the trusted friend of Lorenzo, was
still in Milan, and on the 12th Lodovico Sforza (il Moro) told him to
inform Lorenzo that the King of Naples would be willing to listen to
overtures of peace, and that he strongly advised him to strike while
the iron was hot. Ten days later he told the same thing to Pier Filippo
Pandolfini, the Florentine ambassador, adding that Lorenzo ought not
to trust Venice who thought only of her own interests, and would leave
Florence in the lurch. He could himself promise little or nothing as
Milan was sore pressed, and he wished Lorenzo to know this, in order
to avoid future recrimination. He advised immediate action, and was
ready to undertake negotiations with Naples. It is clear that Lodovico
had been charged by King Ferrante to sound Lorenzo. On November 24th
Filippo Strozzi, who had lived long in Naples and knew the King well,
left Florence on a secret mission. “I was to tell the King,” he writes
in his journal, “that Lorenzo placed himself in the King’s hands,
and would willingly do all the King desired if he only gave peace to
Florence, and restored to her the towns she had lost. I found H.M. at
Arnone [at the mouth of the Volturno] hunting, and when I delivered my
message he answered that he had later news; that Lorenzo was coming
in person, and so we would wait and see what his visit would bring
forth.”[271]
The following letter from Lorenzo to the Signoria was written after
he had started for Naples. Many in Florence feared that he might meet
the same fate as Piccinino, who had been invited to Naples and foully
murdered by the King’s orders.
_To the_ Signoria _of Florence, from_ Lorenzo de’ Medici
Most Illustrious my Lords,--It is not from presumption that I did not
notify the reason of my departure to Your Illustrious Excellencies,
but because it seemed to me that the agitated and disturbed condition
of our city demands acts and not words. I conceive that she desires,
and indeed has extreme need of peace. Seeing that all other endeavours
have been fruitless, I have determined to run some peril in my own
person rather than expose the city to disaster. Therefore, with the
permission of Your Excellencies of the Signoria, I have decided to
go openly to Naples. Being the one most hated and persecuted by
our enemies I may by placing myself in their hands be the means of
restoring peace to our city. One of two things is certain, either
His Majesty the King loves our city as he has asserted and some have
believed, and is attempting to gain our friendship by affronting us
rather than by despoiling us of liberty; or His Majesty really desires
the ruin of this Republic. If his intentions are good there is no
better way of testing them than by placing myself voluntarily in his
power, and I make bold to say that this is the only way to make peace
and to render the condition of our city stable. If His Majesty the
King intends to attack our liberty it seems to me well to know the
worst quickly, and that one should be injured rather than the many. I
am most glad to be that one, for two reasons: first, because being
the principal object of our enemies’ hatred I can more easily and
better explain all to the King, as it may be that our enemies only
seek to injure me. The other reason is that having a greater position
and larger stake in our city, not only than I deserve but probably
than any citizen in our days, I am more bound than any other man
to give up all to my country, even my life. These are the feelings
with which I go, for perchance our Lord God desires that this war,
which began with the blood of my brother and my own, should be put an
end to by me. My ardent wish is that either my life or my death, my
misfortunes or my well-being, should contribute to the good of our
city. I shall therefore carry out my idea. If it succeeds according
to my wishes and hopes I shall be most glad to benefit my country
at the risk of my life and at the same time to save myself. Should
evil befall me I shall not complain if it benefits our city, as it
certainly must; for if our adversaries only aim at me, they will have
me in their hands: if they want aught else it will be patent to all.
I am certain that our citizens will unite to protect their liberty,
so that by the grace of God it will be defended as was always done
by our fathers. I go full of hope, and with no other object than the
good of the city, and I pray God to give me grace to perform what is
the duty of every man towards his country. I commend myself humbly to
Your Excellencies of the Signoria.--From San Miniato on the 7th day of
December 1479. Your Excellencies’ Servant,
Laurentius de Medicis.[272]
Lorenzo de’ Medici _to_ Antonio Montecatino, _Ambassador to Florence of
the Duke of Ferrara_
_Magnifice tanquam Pater_,--From S. Miniato I wrote to tell you the
reason of my departure, but as a note from you does not mention my
letter, perhaps you will have had it later.
Anyhow I reply briefly to assure you that your affairs and those
of your and my Illustrious Lord are most dear to me, and that at
present and in the future they are and ever will be more so. I know
my obligations towards His Excellency, and know what is my duty,
which I shall perform. Wherever Lorenzo de’ Medici intervenes Your
Lordship may be sure that there is one of your most faithful servants.
His Excellency will know this from the effects if I succeed in doing
what I wish. Meanwhile this is to inform Your Magnificence that I
hope to leave here to-night and to join the galleys, which arrived
this evening, at dawn. On board is Ser Giantommaso Caraffa, son of
the Count di Matalone, and Prinzivalle di Gennaro, whose position at
the court of the Duke of Calabria I think you are aware of. They have
come to bear me company, though a far greater man than I am would be
much honoured by their companionship. I pray God may lead me there and
bring me back in safety, having accomplished something. I beg you to
let Your Illustrious Lords and Madonna know what I have written, and I
commend myself to their Excellencies and to you.--Pisa, the 10th day
of December 1479.
Filius Laurentius de Medicis.[273]
Bartolommeo Scala, _Secretary of the Florentine Republic, to_ Lorenzo
de’ Medici _at Naples_
_Magnifice Pater mi_,--I send herewith a duplicate of the mandate in
case the first has not reached you, your primary instructions and the
letter of credit. I think however that you will have received them as
Poccia had a safe-conduct from the Duke.
As you are to use them I hope they are according to your wishes. If
anything is wanting I beg you to send me the formula you desire and it
shall be sent.
I also send you a cipher if you want to write anything secret.
How things go at Sarzana owing to the return of Ser Alessandro you
will see by the letter of the 10th. The Duke of Calabria continues
the same line of conduct with letters and mandates drawn up like an
agreement for peace. It does not seem to me to promise well. Deal
with it as you think best. We have more adversaries in this matter
than is pleasant, and maybe he who ought to favour us does not do so,
but craftily acts against us in the interests of others. I cannot now
write more openly, another time I will explain at greater length in
cipher.
Your letter of the 18th rejoiced us all, and peace seemed imminent.
That of the 22nd altered the outlook and gave rise to grave thought
in those who heard it. The reply was debated on for several days. You
will see what was decided. Only to you would such large powers be
given in so important a matter. It is the first time a white sheet
[unlimited authority] has been given, for it amounts to that. But as
it is to you that such a commission is sent no one doubts that good
will come of it. I, as your devoted friend, point out that whatever
was not carried through here at once has been completed by the
authority given to you in the last paragraph of your letter. Peace
would be most welcome here, but if the conditions are not honourable
you know our nature; we praise or we blame according to which way
the wind blows or our feelings move us. We do not trouble to reason.
The Milanese appear favourable but there [at Naples] you will know
better about this. Venice will I think not be satisfied with anything
which would be displeasing to us. But you understand all this better
than I can explain it so I will not enter into more particulars, as
I know you are kept minutely informed by others. I commend myself to
you.--Florence, January 1, 1479 (1480).[274]
Bartolommeo Scala, _Secretary to the Florentine Republic, to_ Lorenzo
de’ Medici _at Naples_
_Magnifice Benefactor mi_,--I take the keenest delight for many
reasons in your letters, both in those you write to me and in those
written to the Ten. _In primis_ for the hope you give both in public
and in private of good results. God will not frustrate your work _et
ricordabitut servi sui_. You are satisfied with the mandate so I am
content. In former times things pertaining to knighthood were much
prized there [at Naples]. This is why I acted as I did. I am not at
all vexed, how could I be with anything you do with regard to public
things or with regard to myself, who owe everything to you and to whom
I would give my life?
The affairs of Milan have put new life into some people here, they
are well known and much discussed. You will see by the copies the
Office sends what has arrived here. But there are those who do not put
much faith in words when gainsaid by deeds. Nevertheless the general
opinion is that they desire to keep that duck and make it grow,
because reason and duty must at last prevail. I tell you this in order
that you should insist as much as you can on honourable conditions
of peace, so that no one here will be able to say that your going to
Naples has made things worse, as a few have already tried to induce
others to believe and say: You know how many we are, but boys, &c.
Enclosed is a mandate from the Lord of Faenza. He has talked to me and
displays great faith in you, nevertheless I see he is much alarmed,
and suspicious of that prince [Duke of Milan?]. A Venetian ambassador
is at Faenza with 200 soldiers as a guard. I had the same suspicion,
and suspected others as well, as I have told you before, and now it is
increased by what has happened at Rimini. Although Pesaro has always
followed our lead, yet suspicions and State jealousies have great
influence on men’s minds. We must carefully consider what security
can be given to pacify them, particularly as lies are told about
everything as one knows is always the case in such important affairs.
Your dealings with H.M. the King about the restitution of Sarzana is
much commended. If it can be obtained before peace is concluded, for
every one here had lost all hope and even doubted that peace would be
made, you would gain much honour and all would be attributed to you.
Here everything goes on as when you left, there is still some
ill-humour, but it is I think a good sign that it is less apparent
than when you were here. Your reputation seems to have increased and
if all ends as we desire and you give us hopes--_nihil supra_. I
commend myself to you.--From the Palace [Florence], January 12, 1479
(1480).
News has reached here written from there [Naples] to private
individuals in Rome, by, I have been told, persons in your suite,
_sunt pleni rimarum_ written by them in Naples. If you think this
matters admonish them, but without mentioning me, for as you know we
live in glass houses.[275]
Bartolommeo Scala, _Secretary of the Florentine Republic, to_ Lorenzo
de’ Medici _at Naples_
_Magnifice Pater benefactor mi_,--We are all hoping against hope for
the conclusion of this affair which has delayed so long, as you will
see by the letter of the Ten. Letters from Rome come often to our
merchants which addle our brains, not only do they vary every time,
but are contradictory. The Pope will never consent. The Count agrees
to everything. The Pope agrees, the Count will not hear of it, &c.
The news is crumbled into a thousand bits. Messer Lorenzo da Castello
has gone to lay the land waste, also he has gone to set things right,
also to clear up matters, in short infinite are the opinions and the
whims. For the love of God get us out of this by the good offices of
him [King of Naples] on whom we are to depend in future; for his power
and authority are such that finally every one will have to do as he
pleases. The Ten desire your return either with peace or without,
but more with peace. This long delay is grievous to them and to all,
especially to your friends. Yet, notwithstanding, hope and faith in
H.M. the King grows day by day and affection towards you. And as it
appears _agat partes nostras_ in this treaty of peace against our
other adversaries, I encourage this opinion as much as I can, because
it seems to me beneficial to our public and private needs. Everything
here is quiet and in the same condition as when you left, as I told
you before. If there is peace you will see how the city will flourish.
I commend myself to you.--Florence, January 15, 1479 (1480), _quam
raptim_.[276]
Doctor Oliverio, _from Bagno a Morba, to_ Lucrezia de’ Medici
Magnificent and honoured _Domina, humili commendatione premissa,
salutem_,--In my last I informed Your Magnificence that the spring
called _Cacio cotto_[277] gave about six barrels[278] a day and
that we are now searching for an increased supply. Being anxious to
meet your wishes and to prevent the said water from escaping from
whence it rises as I found had been the case, whereby much of its
virtue is lost, I caused the building made for Giovanni di Pace to
be demolished, and at the bottom, nearly in the centre of the Bath,
I found another spring and several smaller ones which will give much
water, and are exactly the same as that of _Caccio cotto_, which[279]
... give twenty barrels, or more.[280] The ingredients contained in
the said water are sulphur and some alum. It is excellent for scabies
and for asthma, it is a dissolvent, heals all ills in the body and
pains in the joints and the nerves. Many other virtues are contained
in it as I will demonstrate to Your Magnificence. Also of the other
springs, particularly that of the principal bath, you shall have exact
descriptions, for I am analysing the said waters with all diligence,
and in three days I hope to finish this work entrusted to me. I
commend myself to Your Magnificence.--The 28th April 1480.
Oliverius Medicus.[281]
Ippolita Maria d’Aragona, _Duchess of Calabria, to_ Lorenzo de’ Medici
_Magnifice Domine amice specialissime_,--If Giovacchino had arrived
at Florence without any letter from me Your Magnificence would have
had every right to complain. To avoid this therefore I write; and
also to satisfy H.M. the King, who often asks how I stand with my
confederate, that is with you. This letter however is not that of a
confederate, nor is it political, but only to tell Your Magnificence
how continually we think of you. But we are not at all sure that you
often think of our walk, which is in great beauty with all the flowers
out, in truth it does not wish to be visited by a crowd in order to
put forth tender shoots. Anyhow the walk and ourselves both bear Your
Magnificence in our memories. Giovacchino, the bearer of this, is our
very good friend, and we recommend him to Your Magnificence, not only
in a general way but _etiam_ in things which touch his honour and
reputation, praying that you will grant him, for love of us, every aid
and thus give us much pleasure.--Naples, July 3, 1480.
Castello Capuano.[282]
Papinio di Artimino _to_ Lucrezia de’ Medici
_Magnifica Domina post humilissima comendamenta vestra_,--For some
time I have not written to Your Magnificence, now I write to tell you:
that this evening news has come from H.M. the King [of Naples] that
the Turkish army has arrived in Apulia and has already seized more
than twenty towns and castles, and taken prisoners more than fifteen
thousand inhabitants, whom they have butchered in most cruel fashion.
They are said now to be encamped before a port called Oitontoto
[Otranto], where they have disembarked ten thousand men and more than
four thousand horses, and have planted many mortars with which they
are bombarding the walls. The opinion of those who have been there is
that by now the town is lost. This news has made a great sensation
here and is held to be very serious. God help us in our need: for I
see it will cause the affairs of Italy to be forgotten.[283]
Then there is also a report that H.M. the King has spontaneously ceded
all our castles and has ordered M. Giovan Battista Bentivoglio to
consign them to the Florentines; this is good news.